Thursday 5th October 1916

Front line trenches south of Le Sars

The weather was again stormy and very wet and conditions desperate, as described in the Brigade War Diary: “Trenches in a very bad state and men in front lines much exhausted from want of sleep. Even the Battalions in reserve were not much better off, no cover from shellfire or weather being possible, and large carrying parties being constantly required day and night to maintain supply of food, water, bombs, ammunition and other stores over long distances”. The War Diary of 8^th Yorks. described conditions: “During this period in the trenches the weather was abominable and communication, telephonic and otherwise, was very difficult”.

Despite the difficulties they faced, attempts were clearly made to provide a decent burial for some of those who had been killed. Cpl. Leslie Seymour Perks (see below) saw his pal Pte. Herbert Rooke (see 4^th October) buried “on the following day (ie 5^th October) by his comrades, who put a cross to mark the spot.” Pte. George Whitfield (see 17th September 1914) recalled burying his pal Pte. Edwin Isherwood (see 24th May 1915),” A pal and myself put him to rest in a nice little grave close to where he fell. I took a ring off his finger which I will give you when I come home. I also got his pay book and a few other things”. Pte. Ben Butler (see 20^th September) oversaw the burial of Pte. Anthony Lofthouse (see 29th July), later telling his family that, “I saw him buried and got some of his belongings”. However, these graves were lost in subsequent fighting and all of these men and the majority of the others of 10DWR killed around Le Sars are now commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Leslie Seymour Perks had been one of the Ilkley volunteers who had been added to Tunstill’s Company in September 1914. He had enlisted underage (he was only 17 when volunteering); though born in Worksop the family had moved to Ilkley and he had worked since leaving school as an apprentice at Taylor’s Drug Stores in the town. The family lived in the household of Mrs. Clara Bayne of Ben Rhydding, for whom his father and mother were coachman and servant respectively.

Pte. Herbert Rooke

Pte. George Whitfield

Pte. Edwin Isherwood

 

Pte. Anthony Lofthouse

Early in the morning orders had been received that the Battalion was to be relieved by 11^th West Yorks. They continued to hold their present position until the relief began around dusk and the men had to leave the trenches “over the top as far as possible” as the communication trenches which would normally have been used were packed with incoming troops who were moving forward in preparation for a renewal of the assault on the German lines. Tunstill’s Company suffered another loss during the relief. Pte. Kit Ralph (see 12^th May) had volunteered to guide the relieving troops into position and was leading a contingent along a communication trench when a shell burst alongside, killing him instantly. The remainder of the relief, though largely uneventful, was very slow and it was 4am the following morning before all had reached their new positions in support trenches north-west of Martinpuich.

Pte. Kit Ralph

Two officers reported sick and left the Battalion for treatment. 2Lt. Howard Thurston Hodgkinson (see 21^st August) was reported to be suffering from phlebitis (inflammation) of the right leg, while 2Lt. George Henry Roberts (see 2^nd September) was diagnosed as having, “trench fever and slight debility”.

Pte. William Allen Sayer (see 19^th June) was slightly wounded, but, following treatment, would re-join the Battalion next day.

Two men, neither of them original members of Tunstill’s Company, died of wounds; Ptes. Walter Lingwood and Albert Senior are both buried at Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension.

  Lt. Dick Bolton (see 2^nd October), currently on leave in England, was examined by Major J. Hall-Edwards, RAMC, at the Command Depot at Sutton Coldfield (Bolton was then staying with Mrs. Essex at Manor Hill, Sutton Coldfield). He was found to be, “considerably run down and is suffering from boils. I suggest that his leave be extended for another week”.

 

Lt. Dick Bolton

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Pte. Joseph Clayton (see 5^th July), who had been in England since having been wounded in July, was posted to 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Gateshead. 

Sgt. Percy Cole (see 21^st September) who had suffered a compound fracture to his right arm on 29^th July was formally discharged from the army as no longer physically fit for service. He was awarded a weekly pension of 29s., to be reviewed in six months.

A payment of £9 19s 3d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Roy Sayles (see 29th July) who had been killed in action on 29^th July; the payment would go to his father, George Henry.